Until now, whenever Kanna caught eyes with Yuder, she'd strangely hesitate and either back away or avoid him altogether. This time was different. Her gaze, filled with indescribable emotions, briefly met Yuder's before fading away with a sigh that seemed to sink into the earth.

Yuder decided to break the silence for her sake.

"Kanna, can you tell me what exactly happened after I got drunk?"

He had woken up to Kanna's news that the party was over, and that Kishiar had sent the Empress's chief maid for some reason. However, he hadn't heard any further details.

While it was good that the party had ended, he was deeply curious to know if it had concluded in a joyful atmosphere.

"After Commander Kishiar checked on you and left, there were no issues. Everyone had fun. People were fascinated when they heard that you and I would be meeting with the Empress's entourage and would stay at the party a little longer. Most have returned to the Cavalry by now."

Kanna had to stay by Yuder's side in Kishiar's absence. To facilitate this, the Empress had decided to feign interest not only in Yuder but also in Kanna.

Given Kanna Wand's contributions in investigating the huge mana stone vein buried in the Great Sarain Forest, nobody questioned this. She had even received an award next to Ever for her work.

Nobody dared to intrude into their private room, and they could pass the time peacefully until Yuder's condition improved. The party had concluded without incident, a success by all measures.

"And what about the Crown Prince and the other nobles?"

"It's hard to say for certain... but no one openly inquired about you."

"That's good."

Yuder felt a sense of relief. It was clear that Kishiar had effectively filled his absence and wrapped up the party well. He had been secretly anxious, wondering if he had somehow disrupted the ongoing smooth proceedings. With a lighter heart, he sighed, his aching head clearing.

'I wonder why I got so seriously drunk out of the blue... I should ask Kishiar about that part when I meet him.'

He had been too intoxicated to think properly when his sudden drunkness had hit. Even now, he could only vaguely recall what had happened then. But he distinctly remembered that Kishiar had visited and then left.

Kishiar's characteristic musky scent still lingered faintly in the room, steadying his mind.

"Thanks for letting me know. And... I'm sorry."

He had merely lain there, but Kanna had missed out on the party because of him. Lately, she had been behaving strangely, and he couldn't rule out that she felt even more uncomfortable than she looked.

As he apologized, Kanna's expression changed. Her eyes and ears reddened, and her tightly closed lips trembled slightly. Yuder could tell she was still suppressing her emotions.

"Don't apologize."

"But you didn't get to enjoy the party because of me."

"I wasn't enjoying it from the start. Being here is far better than dodging people who were unnecessarily talking to me just to extract some information about the mana stone vein."

"Someone did that to you? Who?"

Yuder was incredulous that any noble would dare to pull such a stunt on one of the Deputy Commanders of the Cavalry. At that, Kanna frowned for the first time and chuckled softly.

"Will you go beat them up again if you know who they are? Forget it. I didn't say it for that reason."

"I have more than a hundred ways to deal with it without getting caught. Just give me a description if you don't know their name."

"I said forget it."

Kanna, who had sternly shaken her head, averted her gaze slightly and mumbled after a moment.

"It's not that I don't want to; it's just that I've already taken care of those annoying people with my own power. There's no need for you to get involved."

"..."

When Kanna first joined the Cavalry, she had been afraid to even visit the imperial palace for fear of running into her father. Seeing Yuder's expression, Kanna realized anew that her father was no longer around, and her face brightened slightly more than before.

"Don't worry. I've controlled my powers well enough not to get caught. At most, the Cavalry will just be a bit more cautious, thinking they know more petty details than they actually do. That's not so bad, is it?"

"...Fine. Well done."

In the end, that was all he could say.

What should he say next? He wanted to ask why Kanna was avoiding him, but he hesitated as he couldn't even guess the reason.

He used to speak without such concerns, but it seemed he had changed in that regard.

"Yuder."

As if sensing his hesitation, Kanna spoke up. A similar sense of hesitancy briefly flickered across her now more relaxed face.

"You knew I've been avoiding you a bit lately, right?"

"Yes."

A complex array of emotions flashed across Kanna's face, which was slightly biting her lip.

"It's not that I wanted to avoid you. I just didn't know what to say when I saw you... I thought it would get better with time, but it hasn't... Anyway, it's not your fault. There's no serious issue. I was planning on saying this first today, but given the circumstances, I'm saying it now."

While she said it wasn't his fault, the idea of avoiding someone because you don't know what to say to them was puzzling.

"I don't understand why you have to avoid me if it's not my fault. You don't have to hold back, just tell me honestly."

"It's really not your fault."

"If you think cursing me out or using weapons would help, go ahead."

"Why are you so extreme? I have no reason to do that to you! Have you forgotten that I've always been on your side, no matter what?"

Kanna asked incredulously. A mixture of an unwilling smile and a sigh creased her scrunched eyes. "I really didn't want it to come to this," she mumbled, burying her face in her hands. When she looked up again, her unchanging affection for Yuder remained.

"Well, considering your nature, it's probably why you ended up facing that mad Baron on behalf of others this time too."

"..."

The sudden accusation startled him. It was like hearing what he thought would be said by Kishiar in advance, and he felt irritated.

"But I really like that about you, Yuder. That's why... I'm so worried about you."

"You don't have to worry. I'm fine now. What happened earlier was just a phase. Time passed and I'm back to normal."

"It's not that kind of problem..."

Kanna's voice trailed off as she exhaled a long sigh. She followed it with a frustrated groan, rubbing her face vigorously with her hands. Her agony and torment were evident.

"Kanna, are you sure it's not because of me? If it's so uncomfortable talking to me, how about discussing it with the Commander?"

"No! No, but... fine, I'll tell you. It's my problem. It's because of my ability."

No sooner had Yuder suggested consulting with Kishiar first than Kanna vehemently rejected the idea and shouted out as if she were a machine gun.

"Your ability?"

In that moment, Yuder felt a sudden chill creep down his spine. There was only one issue that would make Kanna this anguished and blame it on her own ability.

"...Did you read something from me?"

Yuder recalled a previous conversation where Kanna had mentioned the difficulty of controlling her rapidly-developing ability, which sometimes read information from those around her without warning. Yuder had considered the possibility that one day he too could be read. Fortunately, her ability didn't go as far as reading people themselves or peering definitively into their memories. He had judged that if needed, there was plenty of room for explanation.

But this was sooner than expected.

"Ugh!"

Instead of answering, Kanna bowed her head once again, burying her face in her knees. Her ear tips, visible through her neatly combed and pinned-up bobbed hair, had turned a vivid red.

Yuder thought the only information to be read from him would naturally relate to his past life, but her reaction was oddly curious.

'Could she have read something related to my previous life?'

Just then, the slow knocking of a door accompanied an outside voice.

"I heard Yuder is awake. May I come in?"

It was Kishiar. Kanna quickly corrected her posture and sprung to her feet, rushing toward the door.